The Trump administration announced that only partial food aid payments will be sent to 42 million low-income Americans as the ongoing government shutdown, now nearing a record 36 days, continues to cripple public services.

The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), told a federal court Monday that it would distribute only 50% of eligible households' food benefits this month. This comes despite federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordering the administration to use a $4.65 billion emergency fund to cover the estimated $9 billion needed for November’s SNAP payments.

The remaining shortfall, the agency said, would not be covered through other funding sources.

SNAP benefits, which average $356 per household per month, expired Saturday, leaving 1 in 8 Americans unsure how to afford groceries. The impact is widening as more families feel the consequences of the shutdown.

Wider shutdown fallout

The shutdown stems from a standoff over funding for Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which provide health insurance assistance for over 20 million Americans. With the next sign-up period beginning Saturday, the stakes are high: failure to act could result in soaring premiums.

Democrats insist on a deal to extend the ACA subsidies before reopening the government, while Republicans refuse to negotiate until federal operations resume.

The shutdown has also pushed other essential services to the brink: WIC, the food assistance program for pregnant women and infants, is at risk. Head Start, which serves 65,000 low-income children, began shutting down programs over the weekend.

A federal judge ordered the White House to use emergency funds for food stamps in response to lawsuits from advocacy groups, but the administration had previously argued those funds were intended for natural disaster relief, not prolonged political crises.

President Trump, in a Truth Social post Friday, said he had asked government lawyers to clarify how to legally fund SNAP "as soon as possible," but no clear timeline has been offered. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged on CNN that delays are likely due to procedural hurdles.

"President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits," Bessent said, adding, "There’s a process that has to be followed."